North Carolina Central University News June 13, 2018 Psychologist Available to Speak on Suicide Prevention North Carolina Central University<http://www.nccu.edu/> (NCCU) psychology instructor Dr. Malik S. Muhammad is available to speak to the media regarding issues surrounding suicide and suicide prevention. In addition to teaching at NCCU, Muhammad is clinical director of Elite Biobehavioral in Durham, NC, where he develops and oversees treatment protocols. Among the courses taught by Muhammad is mental health and cultural diversity. Although African-Americans overall have lower rates of suicide than whites, the gap is narrowing, Muhammad said. According to a study published last month in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) Pediatrics, children ages 5 to 14 who commit suicide are most like to be male and African-American. Additionally, access to mental health services is limited in many African-American communities due to cost, gaps in service coverage, and a cultural viewpoint that can stigmatize individuals, especially men, as being weak for seeking out mental health services. "Many times, those in pain remain smiling while they scream internally from pain and for help," Muhammad said. "Preventing suicide starts with creating a place where all pain is allowed a voice to speak without judgment." SANDRA M. PHOENIX HBCU Library Alliance Executive Director Atlanta University Center Robert W. Woodruff Library 111 James P. Brawley Drive SW Atlanta, GA 30314 404-978-2118 (office) 404-702-5854 (cell) http://www.hbculibraries.org/ sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org<mailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org%3cmailto:sphoenix@hbculibraries.org>> Honor the ancestors, honor the children. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/hbculibraryalliance1/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/HBCULibAlliance Check out "PULSE!" The HBCU Library Alliance's News Source! - https://hbculibraryalliance.wordpress.com/